In 2013, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto launched the Reforma Energética (RE) to reverse the nation’s decline in oil production and encourage green energy initiatives by ending the monopoly of Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) in the nation’s fossil fuel sector and opening up opportunities for foreign direct investment. Now, four years after the reforms began, a new presidential hopeful is threatening to derail the liberalization and review any contracts that have been signed since the entire process began. Lopez Obrador, who currently polls in first place to be elected for Mexico’s top public office in 2018, has argued that the current government’s position of inviting foreign funds to its nation is unconstitutional. Recognizing that the reforms have created economic opportunities for thousands of Mexican students and professionals, the candidate has toned down his rhetoric, suggesting a referendum before any decisions regarding the future of the RE are made. Reuters reports […]